Introduction
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway, opened in 1830, was the first passenger-carrying line to be operated exclusively by steam locomotives (horses were still sometimes used on the Stockton and Darlington). Initially, there was some hesitation among investors over safety and reliability, so the matter was put to the test near St Helens, at the Rainhill Trials.
IN 1829 George Stephenson, appointed to construct one of those new-fangled railways to ferry wool and passengers between Liverpool and Manchester, wanted to prove to doubters that steam locomotives could handle the traffic better than cable-hauled or horse-drawn carriages.*
So starting on October 6th, on a level section of track at Rainhill, Stephenson held a competition. Five locomotive builders were challenged to maintain an average of 10mph over a total of thirty-five miles.
‘Cycloped’, driven not by steam but by a horse plodding away on a treadmill, disintegrated early on. Timothy Burstall’s steam-powered ‘Perseverance’ was disqualified for failing to achieve the 10mph average, and both Timothy Hackworth’s ‘Sans Pareil’ and John Ericsson’s ‘Novelty’, which topped 28mph, broke down.
The undisputed winner of the £500 prize was ‘Rocket’, designed and built by George’s son Robert. It breezed through the tests, averaging 12mph and reaching a top speed of thirty. ‘Rocket’ made Robert the country’s leading locomotive engineer, and became the template for most steam locomotives thereafter.
See our post The Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
Précis
The Rainhill Trials began on October 6th, 1829, with the goal of proving whether steam locomotives could handle the day-to-day traffic of the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Five contestants were entered, but only Robert Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’ met all the qualifications and completed the trials, going on to be the model for steam locomotives ever after. (56 / 60 words)
The Rainhill Trials began on October 6th, 1829, with the goal of proving whether steam locomotives could handle the day-to-day traffic of the new Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Five contestants were entered, but only Robert Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’ met all the qualifications and completed the trials, going on to be the model for steam locomotives ever after.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, if, just, may, or, otherwise, unless, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Better. Builder. Down.
2 Challenge. Most. Rocket.
3 Carriage. Locomotive. Speed.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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